Urlacher will have company on first Hall of Fame ballot

Fellow middle linebacker Lewis will reach eligibility in same year; Moss could join them

May 22, 2013|By Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune reporter

The conversation about if Brian Urlacher would reach the Pro Football Hall of Fame likely shifted to when after the 2010 season.

Now it's worth wondering if there is a spot for Urlacher in Canton, Ohio, as a first-ballot inductee come 2018, when he becomes eligible along with another middle linebacker who is only waiting to be fitted for a gold jacket — Ray Lewis.

It wasn't that 2010 was Urlacher's best season, but at 32 he played at an elite level a year after missing 15 games because of a wrist injury. The Bears reached the NFC championship game with one of the best defenses in the league, and as usual, Urlacher was the undisputed leader. He led the team with 146 tackles and finished strong, named NFC Defensive Player of the Month for December. He was selected to his eighth Pro Bowl.

It erased any doubts about a drop-off in play during a disappointing fallout for the organization as a whole after the 2006 Super Bowl season. The defense was stout throughout most of Urlacher's 13-year run, but the offense was rarely even middle-of-the-pack.

After Urlacher announced his retirement Wednesday, the clock started for his eligibility to be considered for the Hall of Fame. He and Lewis will come along at a time when more than a decade may have passed since the last middle linebacker was enshrined. Harry Carson earned his place in Canton in 2006, his seventh year as a finalist.

The last Hall of Fame middle linebacker to play was the Bears' Mike Singletary, whose career ended after the 1992 season. He was elected in 1998, his first year of eligibility. The most recent at the position to be a finalist was Randy Gradishar, who reached that level for the second time in 2008.

So Urlacher and Lewis could lead a new wave of defenders in Canton as middle linebackers who separated themselves with their athletic and playmaking abilities. The Hall of Fame's selectors have long been working to rectify a shortage of defensive players. Only 24 linebackers are in the Hall of Fame, and none played in the 2000s.

Charles Haley and Kevin Greene, finalists this year, could be honored soon, but they were pass rushers, not middle linebackers. The increased emphasis on passing has diminished the significance of middle linebackers in these discussions. Of the 21 modern-era defensive players selected since 2000, 15 have been linemen or pass rushers.

Lewis has can't-miss credentials with 2,643 career tackles, 164 wins (including postseason), two Super Bowl rings and 13 Pro Bowl selections, the most at the position. Provided he doesn't play again, enigmatic wide receiver Randy Moss also will be eligible for the first time in 2018, and while many wide receivers with terrific resumes are biding their time, Moss' statistics (982 catches, 15,292 yards, 156 touchdowns) put him in a different class.

Longtime Buccaneers cornerback Ronde Barber and former Seahawks, Vikings and Titans guard Steve Hutchinson are on the same timetable for consideration.

So the question becomes how many first-time eligible players can be voted in, with a constant backlog of fine players to be considered annually? There have been 40 players elected in their first year of eligibility since 1990, including Warren Sapp, Larry Allen and Jonathan Ogden this year. There were also three first-year players enshrined in 1990, 1991, 1993 and 2006.

The five-year window provides voters with perspective as they weigh the merits of a player's entire body of work. Urlacher was a defensive player of the year, defensive rookie of the year and had 411/2 sacks and 22 interceptions to go along with 1,779 tackles. The Bears were fifth in the NFL in points allowed (19.5 per game) during his career.

The wait is on to see how Urlacher ultimately stacks up among the great middle linebackers.